St. John’s Family Camp

We are just about 5 weeks away from camp, and are busy
planning and preparing for everyone’s arrival.In the middle of preparing the schedule for this year we received
word that His Grace Bishop Irenei regrettablywill be unable to join us due to “certain circumstances of his
episcopal responsibilities, outside of (his) control.”

He is hopeful to join us at a future camp, but this year won’t work.
Some of you may recall this occurring afew years back, and the resultant camp was very relaxing and low key.
We are looking forward to a very relaxed camp where we can
focus on fellowship, and enjoying a communal vacation ata very lovely location. The children’s/teen’s programs are continuing,
we are blessed to have Fr. Jerry Markopoulos, Pda. Esther Lubliner, and
Daniel Balter providing morning sessions on our
Holy Image theme including Iconography, andArchpriest Fr. James Baglien will be serving
the Wednesday night vigil and Thursday liturgy.

It is my hope that we will have the schedule
firmed up over the next week.Once it is complete we will send it out along
with other helpful resources.

If you have any questions,
please don’t hesitate to contact us.

In Christ,

Joanna JaquetteCoordinatorSt. John’s Family Camp

St. John’s Family Camp registration is now open.

You may download registration form from the bottom of this page.
Camp will run Monday July 17 to Friday July 21.
Our own Daniel Balter, Fr. Jerry Markopoulos, Pda. Esther Lubliner,
are some of the key speakers.
We will have Hierarchal liturgy on Thursday.

Come join us at Sky Camp for an inspirational time of fellowship, prayer and teaching.

The St. John the Wonderworker Family Camp is a retreat for Orthodox Christians — families and singles — in a beautiful lakeside natural setting a half-hour from Eugene. The Camp offers unique opportunities to Orthodox Christians, especially those throughout the Northwest, for prayer and fellowship together. The campsite, a Kiwanis camp, offers cabins and full services for participants.

Night Sky at Family Camp, August 12, 2015.

Each day of the five-day camp includes the Divine Services (Matins, Vespers, and Compline with a mid-week Divine Liturgy), talks for adults, creative activities for children, and both special activities and talks for young adults. Afternoons consist of family recreation time, including swimming, hiking, and playing games. Evening events include folk and line dancing and special presentations.

For Christians, pilgrimage — a journey to receive blessings, either by venerating a holy place associated with the life or miracles of Jesus Christ, the relics of a saint, or holy church or monastery — is important. During pilgrimages, Christians pray, confess, and both deepen their relationship with God and their understanding of the Faith. As places of continuous prayer and spiritual sobriety where one can venerate relics and seek counsel from experienced spiritual guides, monasteries are typical places of pilgrimage. Yet, when one has a family — especially a young family — pilgrimage is often more difficult (but not impossible) to make. For this reason, the St. John the Wonderworker Family Camp was conceived as a place where families can be together in prayer, fellowship, and joy.

The St. John Family Camp is a vacation that is also a pilgrimage.

Fr. Philip Tolbert with Gospel, August 19, 2014.

Swimming in Fall Creek Lake, August 19, 2014.

Part of the experience is belonging to a community that forms at Camp. For five days, we live the “village life” together, praying, eating, learning, and recreating together, but also cleaning and cooking together. Just as at a monastery where one participates in “daily obediences” (daily tasks), at the Camp, we have found that we forge deeper relationships by working alongside one another; it also keeps expenses down because Camp participants are part of the “staff.” Everyone from seven or eight-years old or older assists with three or four tasks during the week.